Saturday 2 March 2013

Up Up and Away...

Our small garden birds have become incredibly nervous since the Kestrel has realised that their free meal could become his free meal.

Over time the small bird numbers have increased tremendously and we have observed on several occasions the Kestrel swooping down towards our bird table and the ground feeders in and around it. We have seen no feathers so we don't think it has been successful yet.

We would love to know how the alarm is raised but when it is, it ain't half effective as the photos below demonstrate.

Happily feeding away: Time 14:41:15.76. Keep your eye on the arrowed bird...

The alarm has been raised: Time 14:41:15.92

 Up Up and away: Time 14:41:16.07

Less than half a second and they're gone.

All except for the female Greenfinch and a couple of other Greenfinches at the side of the post.

Looking at this image it's a wonder they don't collide...

All this happens very regularly, and when they discover it's a false alarm they all swoop back.

Fascinating small creatures... Could watch 'em for hours...

  

2 comments:

Tim said...

"Could watch 'em for hours..."
Unfortunately for progress here... we do!!

Until I saw it here, I'd never seen a Kestrel attacking / attempting to attack birds at a feeder... it is usually the Sparrowhawk that feeds from the feeders at the feeder!!

Our resident Kestrel is a female... is yours male or female?

Colin and Elizabeth said...

We appear to have a pair. I think they were looking at the new house opposite us for a nest site before they put the windows in. They kept flying in and out. Can't tell which one swoops the bird table its tooooo quick and just a flash. A photo would be impossible I can't press the shutter that fast especially these days.